There is no doubt that losing weight is a difficult task and maintaining that weight is even more challenging. It is important that people stay on a healthy weight loss program and keep monitoring the changes as well.

Food journaling and weighing yourself via weight scale are great ways to keep yourself accountable for the weight loss maintenance.

There is a difference between being obsessed with weight loss and keeping a check to see if you are within your healthy weight parameters.

Here's a list of 10 ways to maintain a healthy weight and get you back on track:

It is important that people do not compromise with their sleeping hours due to the hustle culture or straight-up poor lifestyle habits. Getting adequate sleep significantly influences weight management. Lack of proper sleep is one of the main risk factors of weight gain in most of the adults. Inadequate sleep leads to higher level of ghrelin, also known as the 'hunger hormone' responsible for increase in appetite and decrease in levels of leptin responsible for appetite control. Moreover, people who sleep for less number of hours tend to be more tired and unable to participate in any physical activities. Make sure to have 6 to 8 hours of proper sleep every night.

Studies show that breakfast eaters are successful in maintaining their weight loss goals in the longer run than the people who skip breakfast. People who tend to have breakfast tend to consume more healthy fats, fibers and nutrients and have other healthy habits too. There is no harm in skipping breakfast if you feel full but in other cases skipping breakfasts leads to unhealthy eating habits which results in weight gain.

Water consumption often assists in weight loss management. It is advisable to consume one or two glasses of water before meals and avoid drinking water while eating or immediately after a meal. According to several studies, people who drink water before meals tend to consume 13% less calories than people who do not drink water before meals. Increased water intake also improves metabolism, digestion, helps get rid of toxins and makes the body feel better and full.

Weight loss results in muscle loss as well. Loss of muscle weight makes it difficult to maintain weight loss as it leads to poor metabolism, meaning the calories consumed don't burn efficiently throughout the day. Therefore, including resistance training like weight lifting can help you prevent the muscle loss and leads to improvement of metabolic rate. Make sure to include resistance training in your workout regime at least twice a week targeting all the major muscle groups.

There are various processed food items easily available in the market. people tend to feed on these quick and easy to make foods because it saves time, but they are unaware of its harmful effects and the slow damage they cause to the body. It is advisable to cut down on processed food and include whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts in your diet. These automatically help cut down on the intake of sugar. Also, if you do end up buying processed food, make sure to read food labels to avoid access sugar.

A common mistake people tend to commit is to eat healthy throughout the weight loss journey and get back to their older eating habits thereafter. It is important to maintain healthy eating habits even if you achieve the target weight you wished for. Other mistake people tend to commit is eating healthy all day long, only to binge on junk food over the weekend. If one follows this eating pattern, one might end up gaining more weight than they initially lost. Research suggests that people who follow a consistent eating pattern are less likely to regain the lost weight.

Consuming more proteins like fish, pork, meat, milk, cheese, etc. helps to curb the appetite and keeps you full for a longer period of time. They lessen the release of hormones responsible for hunger and being a complex nutrient they take time to be broken down and digested by the body. Since, the body requires more energy to breakdown the proteins, it results in burning of more calories.

Food journaling, weighing scale and tracking apps helps a person to keep a track of their calorie intake. It makes them more aware of their eating patterns and they know where they are going wrong. The practice of filling in these details also helps you keep track of your carb intake and helps you keep unhealthy carbs like fruit juices, refined sugars at bay. Weighing your body weight daily or twice a week, depending upon your personal choice, helps you track your progress and motivates you to continue the same.

Weight loss journey often becomes easy if you have a fitness partner or a person who can hold you accountable for the number of times you get off the track. It is better to find a friend or a family member who can partner up with you on your journey. Studies show that it becomes easy to maintain or control the weight if you have a partner with similar healthy habits. If a person participates in exercise and healthy eating pattern, the other partner is more likely to follow their example.

The beginning is always easier than the entire journey or we can say that consistency is more difficult than starting off. The on and off dieting and weight loss programs may end up taking you to your older weight and unhealthy lifestyle habits. Small steps and conscious decisions will make the journey effortless and help you in maintaining your weight for a longer time.